The Final Test

Within a dark room with a battle platform surrounded by spikes, a shockwave had just sounded as the figure of a similar-looking Death Guard that Nero had faced had finally met its demise. As this happened, a thin youth with pallid skin and glowing purple eyes was noticed panting for breath in a lightly exhausted manner as he held onto a simple poleaxe.

"Finally, I beat that wretched thing... it took even someone with my skills quite a while, heh... that human is most probably dead," Frazel said with a victorious smirk on his face.

After catching his breath, he collected his reward as the timer finished and the blue sphere shone in bright lights as it beamed him away from this area.

***

It didn't take long for Nero to appear within the final testing area; his body beamed down from the sky like a ray of blue light that reformed at the center of a large magic diagram. When Nero looked around, he noticed that surrounding him was nothing more than a small palace room, one with roughly six different towering pillars that formed a circle around him.

A giant green scythe with cryptic markings that was a few dozen meters long and had a blade that shimmered in cold rays hovered beyond these pillars at the central position of this room, illuminating most of the dark scene.

'Is that the famed scythe of this challenge?' Nero asked with wide eyes as he stared at the glowing green scythe.

Adult Nero replied, "Yes, that is the Scythe of Grezelor... this test is tricky so do your best to make the right choice."

Nero's face turned stern, as this was the first warning he had gotten from his older self in a while. He calmly inspected the room before checking the scythe's details.

____

[Grezelor's Cursed Scythe]

[Details: Unknown...]

____

'Huh? Why isn't it showing me anything? Is it because I have yet to finish the challenge?' Nero thought with a puzzled expression on his face, but sadly, his questions would have to end.

Ping! With a sharp sound, another ray of light beamed down from the ceiling, landing in another area a few dozen meters away from Nero's location. As Nero looked over, he noticed that the area was very similar to his own, with six pillars surrounding a magic circle.

'So, he finally made it, it looks like this test will be done in the same area...' Nero thought while looking at Frazel in silence.

Frazel at this time, let out a hearty laugh as he saw the room and glowing scythe before him, he spoke, "Hahaha! I did it; I finally made it! The Cursed Scythe of Grezelor is mine!"

In his moment of splendor, Frazel didn't even notice that Nero was nearby, he hurried to try and leave his diagram, but as his foot reached its edge, a shocking scene occurred.

Buzz! Following a loud sound, a barrier pushed him back with great force, causing him to smash against one of the upraised pillars. The instant this happened, a shocking amount of lightning had zapped him from all angles.

"Ahhhh!" Frazel cried out before the changes stopped, his body fell on his face as he collapsed on the magic diagram while twitching.

Nero shook his head as he saw this, he thought to himself, 'I sure am glad I didn't leave this circle, I could tell that it wasn't such a simple thing from the start...'

Frazel didn't know Nero's thoughts, but that could also be considered a good thing. He soon lifted his injured body from the ground as his hair was in disarray and face was covered in a beaten-down look.

"This damned thing!" Frazel was about to curse, but he soon noticed that Nero was standing on the other side. His eyes went wide in surprise before his look turned to one of anger when he spoke, "You... why didn't you warn me of the dangers?"

Nero snorted and replied, "Do I look like your mother?"

Frazel's eyes shrink at those words, he glared at Nero and spoke, "You... I'll have you know that I'll remember those words."

Nero didn't pay Frazel any mind, in a short while, another buzzing sound was heard as the room began to shake. Both Nero's and Frazel's eyes became stern as they knew the test was about to begin.

Not long after, a bright green ray flashed as a spectator had appeared. It was a man wearing a green robe, holding onto a simple scythe with sinister green eyes. He glanced at both Nero and Frazel as he chuckled before speaking, "Huhu... welcome to the final test, I can tell that you are both fairly talented, but this test isn't an easy one. Many greater talents had arrived here, and majority of them had failed at this final step."

When Nero and Frazel heard this, they looked on with sharp eyes, neither of them was willing to back down from this test.

The reaper smirked seeing this; he didn't bother trying to use his psychological tactics to cause them to falter. He decided to get to the point, "Huhu... intriguing, fine then, I see that you're both quite determined, since it's so then let us commence with the test."

The instant he finished his words, his body erupted with a towering amount of green energy, this power causing the faces of Nero and Frazel to sink as they felt a chilling oppressing even within their souls.

'Such power... there's no way that I can fight him, I sure am glad this test isn't related to combat,' Nero thought with a somewhat relief look, but as he knew that it wouldn't be so simple, he clenched his fists with determination to face any unknown.

The reaper made a sinister chuckle as it spun its scythe before catching it with one palm, positioning its blade in attacking posture as its edge shimmered coldly.

"There are three paths to Grezelor's Artifact, choose one and find the answer for your sincerity. The first is the path of suffering, the second is the path of death, and the third is the path of treasures... you have one minute to make your choice, failure to comply will result in your rejection of the challenge," The reaper said in an icy voice, as he stared at both Nero and Frazel.

Nero listened to this surprised, as was Frazel, the two remained silent for a while as they made pondering looks.

'How troubling... this seems simple, but at the same time it's not that obvious, what do I choose?' Nero thought as he began to ruminate the reaper's words carefully.

Frazel, on the other hand, made a sly smirk as he glanced at Nero and spoke, "Haha, human boy, it looks like I'll be the winner of this challenge, see you around."

When Frazel said this, he stared at the reaper and spoke, but when he opened his mouth, Nero didn't hear anything he was saying as if his choice was blocked from his ears.

The reaper's eyes glowed as he stared at Frazel, who then showed a puzzled, then an alarmed expression as his voice finally returned when he shouted, "Nooo! I won't accept---"

Before Frazel could finish his words, in an instant, the reaper's body vanished, appearing directly before him as he cut the scythe across him in a horizontal slash. Frazel then disappeared from the room as the last thing shown was the regret and hatred in his eyes.

With another flash, the reaper once more returned to its previous positioned as if it never moved. It's body emanating with a dense amount of spooky green Magic Power.

Nero gritted his teeth at this, not because Frazel failed, but that he didn't even hear his choice. He cursed to himself, 'Darn, such an awful test, and that bastard seem as if he's having fun too...'

When Nero thought to here, he noticed that the reaper's face was a smug one as he winked at him with his glowing green eyes and spoke, "One down, only one to go... time is ticking. Huhuhu..."

Nero felt angered a by his laugh, but he took a deep breath, diving deep into his thoughts to ponder, the room growing silent as a spooky mist formed. The mood becoming a tense one as Nero's final struggle began…